Electric tramway.



PATBNTED MAR. 21, 1905.

A. DIATTO.

ELECTRIC TRAMWAY.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. so, 1902.

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afp@ @Aa/v?? $1 f PATBNTED MAR. 21, 1905.

A. DIATTO.

ELECTRIC TRAMWAY.

APPLICATION FILED SBM'. so. 1902.

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Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

ALFREDO DIATTO, OF TUR-TN, llALY.

ELECTRIC TRANIWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,293, dated March 21, 1905.

Application filed September 30,1902. Serial No. 125,392.

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Be it known that I, ALFREDO DIA'rTo, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Turin, Italy, have invented certain new and useful l'mjiirovements in Electric Tramways, (for which I have obtained a patent in France, dated March 5, 1902, No. 319,340,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a system of electric traction with superficial contacts belonging to that category where a magnetic interrupter actuated by a magnetized rod dragged by the car closes the circuit of a feeble current working an electromagnetic relay which connects the superficial contact with the underground cable.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures l and 2 are diagrammatic views. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the magnetic interrupter. Fig. t is a vertical section of a distribution-box containing a group of relays. Fig. 5 is a section on line A B of Fig. Ll.

In Fig. l, a is a rod conveniently suspended to the carriage and of suflicient length to come into contact with two successive contact-buttons Z2 b2. In the car is a small accumulator-battery g, whose circuit, passing through a winding m, maintains the magnetism of rod c. /Vhen the rod a, being magnetized, reaches contact the magnetic interrupter c is attracted, and a current will be thrown into wire f', which is attached toit. This wire winds around an electromagnet c, constituting' the relay, and rejoins a wire t, which ends at the positive pole of a small battery t, whose negative pole is connected with the rails fr, Fig. l. Battery t must have a Voltage equal to about one-half of that of the line, so that in the two cases referred to in the description relay c is always passed by a current having the desired intensitythat is to say, which is neither too weak nor too strong. If, for example, the battery would only absorb one-quarter of the voltage of the line, then three-quarters would remain for the relay e. However, if in this case the battery should have to furnish itself the current to the relay z the latter will have at its terminals only the quarter of the line voltage, and as the relay c is adjusted for a determined current a too weak current would be insufficient, and a too strong current might heat or even burn it. `(lonsequently battery c must have the indicated voltage. If there is at the work-shops a buffer-battery or a battery regulating the current, wire L will connect itself on half of said battery t, Fig. 2. The electromagnet e attracts, then, the armature a', which establishes the communication between the underground cable K and the contact Z1 through the intermediary of wires j' and The current of the line passes then through rod a, winding w1, motor (Z, and rejoins rail f1'. As soon as the current taken by the car exceeds the current that can be delivered by the battery g this latter begins to charge itself for future use. f hen the pavement of contact Iii, supposed to be at rest, is attained by the rod a, this latter, being yet magnetized by preceding pavement will act in a similar manner, and the movement will continue.

lf for any reason whatever the communication with the underground cable should get broken, the relay a instead of being' fed by a current furnished from the rod will be fed for the time by a current of the same intensity and from the wire /t which will reach the rails by passing through the motor; but as soon as the pavement is replaced in communication with the underground cable K the small current traversing the relay e will reverse promptly and the work retake its normal course.

Fig. 3 shows the magnetic interrupter of soft iron c disposed under the contact Z1. This interrupter plunges into a mercury vessel 11, whose upper prolongation is screwed on a prolongation o of the magnetic piece of thc contact-pavement The tightness of this assemblage is completed by a rubber ring y). The wire f, which is a prolongation of the winding of the relay, communicates with the interrupter c through the piece q and the mercury fn. of the vessel. This disposition is similar to the one employed when transmitting directly the principal current from the cable K to the contact-pavement, only it is considerably reduced in dimensions.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent a box oi" circular distribution holding a certain number of relays distributed around its axis. In Fig. 4 two of these relays are shown, the left one at rest and the right one working. Each relay is composed ot' the elcctromagnet a ot' the armature t', oscillating on an axis fr and having' on its prolongation a carbon As soon as the armature or keeper is attracted the carbon lixed in the center of the basis u, carries a coil 6 ot' thick wire whose winding is constituted by wire y', which brings the current ot' the principal cable K. The wire ,/'is connected to the metallic plate 7, bearing the coils (f, and bent to pass from there through the articulations fu andthe armatures f/ to any one ot' the carbons .f1/' As explained in Fig. l, everything' with this disposition will take place as stated. rlhe iron axis 5, magnetized by the passage otl the current into the coil 6, forms a magnetic blower capable ot' extinguishing any arcs that could form themselves between the cai-bons a' and y at the time of the rupture ot' their contact. To this effect the axis is in magnetic communication partly with an iron crown ll by the plate 7 with the columns l2 and partly with another iron crown 13 with the plate u. Between crowns 1l and 13, which have become the poles ot' the central electroi magnet, the magnetic blowing will take place in a direction perpendicular to the are.

vI have said that the voltage of batteryt must be about one-halt' ot' that ot' the main generator. The term "about must be used it' it is considered important that the current passing bobbin e should in the two cases have almost exactly the same intensity. llowever, practically it is not necessary that this condition be absolutely fullilled, considering the sul'liciently large voltage at the terminals of a, which is passed by a weak current, on account o'l windingI c ol'ering a strong resistance.

During the inlinitely short time in which battery!` works the motor does not take principal current and its circuit ollers resistance, which is insignilicant as compared with the resistance in c. Consequently the voltage o1 t will be found almost entirely at the terminals of c and only a small traction ot said voltage will be absorbed by the motor Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Vln an electrical-rail Yay system, a magnctized contact-bar carried by the Jar, superticial contact devices along the road adapted to be closed by said bar, an electromagnctic circuit-closing device for the motive circuit and means 'lor sending' a weak current lrom the magnetized bar through said superlicial contact devices to operate the electromagnetic devices and close the main circuit, substantially as described.

2. lIn an electrical-railway system, a main conductor and a suitable generator lor supplying current thereto, superlicial contact dovices along the line, a bar carried by the car adapted to close said contacts, said bar having electrical connections with the motor, a secondary conductor, a current-generalor theretor for producing a curreutoi approximately halt the voltage of the main line, brauch counections from said secondary conductor to said contact devices` relays included in said brauch connections for electrically connecting the main conductor with said superficial contacts, substantially as described.

3. ln an electrical-railway system, a main conductor and a suitable generator Vlor supplyingl current thereto, superlicial contact devices along the line, a bar carried by the car adapted to close said contacts, said bar having electrical connections with the motor, a sccondary conductor, a current-generator therelor for producing a currentot approximately haltl the voltage ot' the main line, branch connections from said secondary conductor to said contact devices, a plurality ol relays included in said branch connections tor electrically counectingI the main conductor with said superiicial contacts, and an electromaguet around which said relays are grouped and which is included in the main circuit, substantially as described.

ln witness whmeol" .l hereunto set my haud in presence o1" two \\'itnesses.

A LllltlCD() li ATTO. li'itnesses:

(. B. Zxxiumo, CluciinNru (nfiUouurri.

vl OO llO 

